


melting heart

by Wikluk



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types, Turandot - Puccini
Genre: Alternate Universe, But he uses the Force, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Fluff, F/M, Light Angst, Love at First Sight, Minor Character Death, Obi-Wan is not a Jedi, Some Humor, Tension, True Love's Kiss, Why Did I Write This?, kind of, some flirting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-18 07:27:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29114505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wikluk/pseuds/Wikluk
Summary: The key to winning the Princess' hand is to complete three tasks she gives, but what is the key to winning her heart?(or Puccini's "Turandot" inspired fic.)
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi/Satine Kryze, Qui-Gon Jinn & Siri Tachi
Comments: 21
Kudos: 38





	1. prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, sweethearts!
> 
> I come to you with a short story, which is my first attempt in a multi-chapter fic too. I hope it's gonna be well and that you will enjoy reading it.
> 
> (It is inspired by Puccini's opera "Turandot".)

When someone in the Galaxy mentioned Mandalore, the Mandalorian Ruling Family was also always mentioned. Especially Princess Satine.

It was said that the Princess swore that she would never love anyone, and despite her father's pleas, she did not change her mind. It was said that she was once different. That she was warm. That she was joyful. That she was good. That she had a heart.

However, the person who now bore her name and face was the complete opposite of the characters in those stories. 

Years passed, and Duke Adonai Kryze was slowly losing his patience. One day he announced to his daughter that she must marry someone. The Princess took this news with a familiar coldness.

Her promise spread across the Galaxy. She swore that she would marry whoever completes the three tasks she ordered–failure to complete any of them will result in death by beheading.

And to the surprise of the Princess, her father, and probably many other beings throughout the Galaxy, eager men appeared. 

One by one, they undertook tasks that the Coldhearted Princess had devised for them, and none of them was able to complete them.

Eleven of them were beheaded without completing the first task, and the last thing they saw before death took them in her arms, were the Princess's cold eyes.

The Twelfth managed to complete two tasks.

Pre Vizsla, the successor to the Head of Clan Vizsla, was an unusual candidate. Proud. Well trained. Self-confident. Most of all, he knew Mandalorian customs, unlike most non-native comers.

The Princess gave him the third task, not expecting that he would complete it. She was not wrong.

That day arena where competitors were given their tasks was filled to the brim. Pre Vizsla was supposed to die when the sun hides below the horizon. Soon.

Crowds of Mandalorians and beings from other planets gathered to watch the fall of the best candidate to marry their Princess, who had fallen one step away from victory.

Among them was a young, red-haired man with a warm heart and gentle eyes, hidden under the slopes of his brown coat.

He walked slowly toward the place where was the family of the Duke. 

But then... Then he turned suddenly to see an old man, hidden under a grey cloak, with silver hair and a beard longer than the young man remembered.

However, his eyes didn't change at all.

“Father,” said the younger one, standing face to face with the forgotten ruler of Stewjon,–the planet he came from–Qui-Gon Jinn. “What are you doing here?”

“Son,” replied the other in a harsh, worried voice. “I could ask you the same.”

The younger one did not answer this question. He tilted his head to meet a delicate face framed by waves of blonde hair of a woman staring up at him with blue eyes. “Siri.”

“My Lord,” the woman replied, inclining her head. “I'm glad to see you in good health.”

“Same for you,” the redhead bowed his head, then looked his father straight in the eyes. “Why is Siri with you, Father?”

“She remained faithful to me when everyone turned away from me. She is my travel companion and the only person I trust,” the elder replied. “But whether she was driven by loyalty to me or you, you would have to ask her about it.”

“What is he talking about, Siri?”

“My Lord,” the blonde replied, not meeting his eyes. “When you looked at me years ago with such kindness in your eyes and with a sincere smile, my heart beat faster and I knew that it would belong to you forever.”

The younger watched her silently, compassion squeezing his heart. After all, Siri's feeling was about to remain unrequited, as he believed that his place was with another woman.

He looked at his father's confidante, smiling at her in a way so special to her. “I'm sorry Siri for hurting you so much, making you feel something I cannot give you back,” he said in a soft voice and the blonde smiled at him. “However, your loyalty is the most beautiful gift. Thank you for faithfully accompanying my Father when others have long forgotten his name.”

“Thank you, Prince Obi–”

“Don’t call me by my name, please. And I'm not a prince anymore,” Obi-Wan replied, then turned to his father. “Just like you are no longer a king.”

“Our reign is over, but our life is still going on, Son,” Qui-Gon replied, putting his hands in a special coat pocket. “But you still haven't told me what you're here for.”

“You will see, Father,” he said with a smile and then the gong rang.

The sun has hidden below the horizon.

The gate to the arena opened and two guards ushered in a tall, blond-haired man, who walked to meet death with his back straight and his eyes fixed at one point.

At the point where Princess Satine was sitting.

The guards escorted the candidate to the centre of the arena, where the place of his execution awaited, then stood on either side of Pre Vizsla and the three of them looked expectantly towards the stage several meters upon them.

Princess Satine rose from her throne at her father's right side and stepped onto a small platform from which all those gathered could see her well.

“Dear people,” she began in an emotionless voice that suited so much to her cool eyes and icy heart. “We are gathered here tonight for the execution of Pre Vizsla, a candidate for my hand, who did not succeed in his third task.” the deathly silence was broken by whispers rising with every moment. “According to the rules he was aware of when entering the competition, he will be beheaded as soon as I so order.”

The whispers grew louder and turned into a noise that flooded the entire arena.

“Have mercy, my Lady!” someone shouted.

“Let him live!” someone else shouted.

“Have a heart!” was heard somewhere closer.

Princess Satine turned her head that way, her blood-red gown sparkling as two high flames began to dance behind her. “Heart?” she repeated, laughing, her voice hollow and bitter. “But I don't have a heart.”

She raised an elegant hand. One of the guards raised his blade, while the other forced the candidate to his knees and placed a strong hand on his head.

The mask of indifference vanished from Pre Vizsla's face, and anger gleamed in his eyes. “Cold bitch!” he growled.

Princess Satine tilted her head. The guard forcibly rested Vizsla's head on the wood. The blonde-haired woman smiled, although there was no sympathy or amusement in that gesture.

“You could say anything, and you chose to offend me, even though you knew the rules,” she said. “I can't feel pity for you, let alone sympathy. Let your ancestors protect you, even though you showed a lack of honour in the last moments of your life.”

She lowered her hand in a graceful movement, and the first guard lowered the blade with a flourish right on the Pre Vizsla's neck.

His head fell to the sand.

This whole time Obi-Wan was staring at Princess Satine, who shone like a ruby against the background of two dancing flames. There was grace in every gesture. There was a sweetness in her icy voice. And her face–so beautiful, if only she smiled, she could charm anyone.

Qui-Gon noticed his son's gaze and finally whispered after a few long seconds. “You won't.”

“I will, Father,” Obi-Wan replied, smiling warmly at his father. “I will enter the competition, win it and help the Princess learn to love.”

“My Lord,” said Siri in horror. “Have you lost your mind?”

However, Obi-Wan was already walking towards the great gong. Qui-Gon, Siri two steps behind him, followed the former prince in an inept attempt to dissuade him from killing himself.

Obi-Wan stopped in front of three people standing by a large golden gong.

The young red-haired woman looked at him as if he had suddenly grown a second head, and the men standing next to her looked as if they had seen a human for the first time in their lives.

“You have to be a fool to try for her hand,” said the redhead. “My sister will do everything so that no man can cope with the tasks assigned by her.”

“Princess Bo-Katan is right, Stranger.” replied the man with an exceptionally long neck and violet eyes. “Think before you do it.”

“This arena has seen enough blood,” replied a third, red-haired man in armour, apparently a guard. “We don't need any more dead bodies.”

Obi-Wan smiled. “And there will be no more dead bodies because I'm going to survive it.” the three of them looked at him as if he had begun to speak in a foreign language. “I will complete each of the three tasks and earn the Princess’s hand.”

“He's crazy!” Siri wailed, looking pleadingly at Qui-Gon. “My Lord, tell him!”

“Son!” Qui-Gon began quietly. “Son, don't do this.”

“Don't worry about me, Father,” Obi-Wan replied cheerfully. “I'm not going to die.”

Despite five people trying to dissuade him from his candidacy, Obi-Wan picked up a large truncheon from the ground and struck the golden gong with all his might.

Its sound echoed in the arena.

“Satine!” Obi-Wan shouted out.

“Death!” The crowd replied.

Obi-Wan called her name a second time and the crowd shouted his fate a second time. When Obi-Wan said her name for the third time, and the crowd announced his death for the third time, the Princess turned to face him.

Her cold eyes fixed on the red-haired man who was surrounded by five people with sad expressions. This one, however, seemed to be pleased.

His smile intrigued her. 

She straightened slowly, returned to the platform, and spoke again. “Here's another candidate,” she said as if bored. “We’ll see tomorrow if he survives the first task.”

The arena erupted again with thousands of voices, and Princess Satine turned on her heels, gave him one last, unfeeling glance and headed for the exit.

Obi-Wan watched her, fascinated by her grace and beauty until she disappeared into the darkness of the corridor.

“What have you done?” his father said, and his voice cracked. “Son…”

“What I had to,” Obi-Wan replied, still staring at the now empty corridor. “What I wanted.”


	2. the First Task

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, there's where the fun begins!

Princess Bo-Katan, Prime Minister Almec, and Chief of the Palace Guard Fenn Rau sat a few meters from the platform with two thrones - one belonging to Duke Adonai, the other to Princess Satine.

Bo-Katan took a deep breath, and the two men looked at her curiously. The woman glanced at them out of the corner of her eye. “A wonderful day to die.”

Prime Minister Almec looked sceptically at the cloudy sky where the sun could not be seen. “Personally, I'd rather die, feeling the sun's rays on my face for the last time.”

“Death doesn’t do requests, Almec.” Fenn Rau replied with a grim laugh. “Well, unless someone consciously goes for it at least.”

“Another fool,” Bo-Katan muttered. “What does she have that so many seemingly wise people go to death without blinking an eye?”

“Maybe they like challenges,” Fenn suggested hesitantly. “Or maybe their exorbitant ambitions make them believe they can make a heartless being fall in love with them.”

“Exorbitant ambitions?” Almec raised his eyebrows. “I’d rather say: no self-preservation instinct.”

“And no common sense,” Bo-Katan added, then looked up at the sky again. “Do you remember how it started?”

“So inconspicuously…” Fenn breathed, staring at the cloud resembling a blaster. “Who would have thought that the Duke's proposal would end up with an increasing bill for transportation of coffins.”

“Apart from the candidate's suicidal tendency, the list of rules should be extended of the entry fee for the return of the corpse to the family,” Bo-Katan replied smiling crookedly. “Maybe then there would be less of them... You know, the prospect of paying for anything puts a lot of people off.”

“And it would especially discourage those who came into the arena intending to make money through marriage,” said Almec in a flat voice. “Fools, who would give their souls for riches.”

“They give their lives,” Bo-Katan interjected cheerfully. “Same thing.”

There was silence as the three of them stared at the sky, ignoring the growing noise in the arena made by the crowd gathering in the audience. Finally, Fenn Rau let out a breath and tossed casually.

“What do you think of the Thirteenth?”

“I think his smile will disappear after a few minutes,” Bo-Katan replied. “After a few more, his face will fade to the colour of a white lily,” she added, tilting her head. “Until he finally loses the will to fight and drops dead on the sand. Like all of them.”

“I have faith in him,” Almec said with a firm voice, and the two redheads stared at him. “I mean, I believe he will make it to the second assignment.”

“Optimistic thought,” Bo-Katan muttered. “But you saw Satine's face when Thirteen volunteered,” she whispered in an almost conspiratorial tone. “She looked like she wanted to suck the vital energy out of him there and then.”

“Maybe Almec is right…” Fenn suggested without conviction. “Maybe thirteen would be a lucky number.”

“Happy for whom?” Bo-Katan snorted. “Because I guess neither for my sister nor my potential brother-in-law.”

“Look!” Fenn said in a cheerful voice. “You already think of him like family!”

“Ha.” Bo-Katan laughed briefly until the dry sound was interrupted by the sound of the gong.

“Here he goes.”

The gate to the arena began to rise slowly, revealing first the legs, then the torso, and finally the candidate's head.

Obi-Wan moved forward with a cheerful pace, his whole posture confident and positive.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his father and Siri in the audience, but even their worried faces did not affect his well-being.

He strongly believed that he would succeed in the first task. 

He already felt something pushing him towards the Mandalore. When he heard about the Princess' promise, he did not doubt that he was the one who would help her become human again.

He would be successful. A voice in the back of his head told him so.

Obi-Wan reached the designated spot, stood proud and straight, and waited.

Princess Satine was nowhere to be seen but her father, Duke Adonai, was already sitting in his throne.

Obi-Wan bowed respectfully to the man who was looking at him with pity, maybe even desperation.

“Stranger,” the Duke said, and the voices in the arena died down. “You can still withdraw from running for my daughter's hand. You have the right to do so as long as you have not sworn your oath.” And then added in an almost pleading tone “Please, consider once again whether you want to start the tasks assigned by my daughter.”

“Thank you, my Lord,” Obi-Wan replied calmly. “However, I am confident in my actions and will take my oath as soon as Princess Satine stands on this platform.”

“Let it be that way.” the Duke replied. “Remember you still have a chance.”

Voices began to rise again in the arena. Obi-Wan has seen thousands of beings talking to each other, whispering to each other or shouting at each other.

He could see hands pointing at him as if their owners were saying, “Look, there's the madman!”

However, Obi-Wan was a stubborn man, and if he made up his mind, there was no turning back. It was no different in this situation.

He promised himself to get a Princess of captivating beauty, no matter what.

All voices died away as the gong sounded and Princess Satine stepped onto the stage from the corridor.

She headed straight to the platform. 

A ray of sunlight peeked out from behind the clouds, falling directly on her fair hair and reflected in the precious stone adorning the tiara on her head. 

The tall and slender blonde woman was dressed in a long gown as black as the Galaxy without stars.

Obi-Wan took that as a warning. As an announcement of death.

The Princess raised both her hands, then spoke in a practised monotone. “Before I want to hear the candidate's oath, I want to tell everyone here why we are meeting here again.” she began breathing deeply. “You see, five years ago a man showed up on Mandalore. Tall. Well-built. Intelligent. Handsome. Women were crazy for him, but he only wanted one woman.” she paused for a moment, then said with a hint of anger. “My mother.”

And whispers rose for a few seconds in the arena, but they died down as soon as the Princess glanced at the audience. 

She clasped her hands in front of her. “My mother was a beautiful woman with a strong character. However, she had one flaw. Heart too kind for her own good.” she said, emphasizing the last sentence bitterly. “When the handsome man began to show his interest in her, my mother did not immediately dismiss him. She treated his advances as something innocent, almost friendly. There was no romance in her mind. After all, she loved my father the most in the world.” she breathed, glancing for a split second at her father. “The biggest disadvantage of people with heart is that they can be driven by emotions. And the biggest disadvantage of people with a good heart is that they often don't see bad before it's too late.”

There was another pause. Princess Satine shifted her gaze to Obi-Wan. Her large blue eyes pierced him right through. She didn't even blink. 

“My mother's suitor disliked her passivity badly. He couldn't understand why she was insensitive to his efforts. He did not understand that it was not in her nature to divide her heart into two. Love poisoned his mind.” at last she blinked and stared blank, cool gaze somewhere ahead. “He was so blinded by his obsession with Duchess Rivett that he decided to make her love him. He kidnapped her,” she said, her voice trembling slightly for the first time. “And when she did not agree to give herself to him, he took what he wanted by force. He wasn't satisfied enough, so he beat her up as a punishment. And when she resisted him, he strangled her and threw her body in the forest to eat game.”

Obi-Wan was still staring at the dignified figure of the Princess. He felt sorry for her and felt sorry for her loss, which left its mark on the daughter of the princely couple forever.

He knew there was a heart somewhere beneath that cool posture, and its owner was simply too afraid to show it to anyone.

He wanted to change that. He wanted to show her she was wrong. He wanted to prove that love is not bad and that what happened to her mother was not the fault of love, but of a sick mind driven by obsession.

He believed he would do it. It's just a matter of time and the right approach.

The Princess must have realized that the thirteenth candidate for her hand was watching her closely, for she looked at him almost with disgust.

She sighed. “I do not believe in love. I don't know what it is and I never want to get to know it. But I have sworn my hand to the one who does the three tasks, and I never break my promises.” she announced in a slightly stiff voice. “Do you want to join the competition, stranger?”

“Yes, my Lady,” Obi-Wan replied confidently.

“From now on you will be bound to me by an oral agreement, which is witnessed by all gathered in the arena,” she said, pointing with her pale hands at the audience. “When you say ‘I agree’ three times, there will be no turning back.”

“I understand,” he replied with a smile.

Her pale eyebrows rose slightly, but aside from this little gesture, the Princess seemed unmoved. She sighed again. “Do you agree to proceed to the first assignment that may result in your death?”

“I agree.”

“Do you agree to proceed to the second assignment if luck is on your side?”

“I agree.”

“Do you agree to proceed to the third assignment with the full knowledge that if you succeed, you will be bound with me forever?”

“I agree,” Obi-Wan replied, staring the Princess standing above him straight in the eyes, a warm smile on his lips.

“So you sealed your fate.” the Princess replied coolly, then turned to the audience. “So it's time to start the first task!”

The crowd cheered, clapped, shouted, chanted until the Princess raised her hand. After a while, the platform she was standing on lowered to the ground and Obi-Wan was able to see the Princess from such close up for the first time.

The first thing he noticed was that her eyes–beautiful, blue–looked more sad than insensitive. And though they were staring at him seemingly without emotion, deeply there was fear, but also a bit of curiosity.

“The First Task,” she said slowly, her melodious voice rising across the arena. “You have to answer to my three riddles,” she announced, and there was a wave of whispers across the audience. “If you answer any of them wrong - you will fail the task. And not completing the task ends in death.”

“I am ready, my Lady.”

“Hmm,” The Princess hummed, then looked him straight in the eye. “You have fifteen minutes to answer each of the riddles. When the time for any of them passes, my sister will ring the gong.”

Obi-Wan nodded, and the Princess straightened up. The voices stopped. The blonde spoke in a velvety voice. “What is born each night and dies each dawn?”

Obi-Wan replied without hesitation. “Hope.”

“ What flickers red and warm like a flame, but is not fire? ”

“Blood,” Obi-Wan said slowly, still looking into her eyes.

The Princess took a deep breath. It was as if the time had stopped. “ What is ice which gives you fire and which your fire freezes still more? ”

Obi-Wan was silent. He was still staring into the Princess's blue eyes that were watching him closely, waiting with perhaps the slightest interest for his answer. 

He thought for a moment.

What's like ice? Many things could have been. But what could be the ice that was simultaneously burning?

One answer came to him. 

He smiled gently, never taking his eyes off the Princess's pale face, then answered in a soft, subtle voice. “Satine. It is Satine.”

She took a deep breath, and her eyes sparkled for a moment with something that was not there before.

She straightened up, lifted her chin high, and without looking at the crowd, she said. “You gave me three correct answers. You qualify for the second assignment.”

The crowd began to scream and cheer. The Princess waved her hand, and her platform returned to its original place after a while. From there the Princess glared at the viewers and said in a dignified voice. “Tomorrow, as soon as the sun rises, the thirteenth candidate will be assigned his second task. Until it happens.” she stopped, glancing at him briefly. “Let him enjoy life.”

The Princess turned, her black dress glistening in the sunlight as she headed for the dark corridor.

Obi-Wan watched her until she was completely out of sight. Then he looked out over the audience, where he saw his father and Siri in the distance. 

They stared at him but, unlike the crowd, they did not clap or cheer. 

  
  
  
  



	3. the Second Task

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Does she... Does she... *gasp* CARE?!  
> It would seem so...

By the time the sun rose the next day, the arena was filled with eager spectacles from hundreds of planets, gathered to watch the fall of another candidate for a hand of the Princess with Cold Eyes.

This time, as the gate lifted and Obi-Wan entered the arena, the Princess was already standing on the platform in front of the stage, wearing a long navy blue dress with a silver headband falling over her forehead.

She looked imperious. She looked proud. Obi-Wan knew that whatever was the task she had for him, it wouldn't be easy.

Nevertheless, he gracefully and confidently stood in the middle of the arena, where he was only a few meters away from the Princess who was staring at him.

“The sun has risen.” Princess Satine announced, and there was silence in the audience. “And you, stranger, show up here because you completed your First Task yesterday. I hope you've managed to say goodbye to your loved ones,” she added, and Obi-Wan could have sworn a pained expression appeared on her face. “And that you enjoyed your last hours.”

“No, my Lady,” Obi-Wan replied, and the Princess raised one eyebrow at him in surprise. “Because I'm not going to lose my head in this arena today, tomorrow, and never in the future.”

“Hmm.” the blonde hair sighed after a moment. “I don't know whether to envy your optimism or sympathize with your stupidity,” she said. “Many before you were too confident, and now you are standing in a place where their hot blood has soaked in the sand. Even so, I don't see any fear in you.”

“What should I be afraid of, Lady?” Obi-Wan asked, giving her a warm smile. “Of losing? I know I will win it. Of death? A man who has nothing on his conscience does not need to fear death. Of you, my Lady?” she looked at him with obvious curiosity. “Why should I be afraid of you? You are not dangerous, my Lady, only lost. Should I be afraid of winning and what comes next, of a potential marriage?” he put his hand on his chest, above his heart. “It would be the greatest honour and a pleasure to spend my life by your side.”

The silence in the arena was appalling.

It would seem as if, waiting for the Princess's answer, each being held breath, fearing that the softest sound would drown the woman's words. 

She, in turn, was staring at Obi-Wan intently. Her hands were clasped in front of her, her back was still straight, but her head slightly tilted and her chin lowered to be able to look the candidate straight in the eye was something that had never happened before.

Obi-Wan accomplished something that neither of the men had. He earned her interest and attention.

After a few long, painfully silent seconds, the Princess’ lips curled upward, though her eyes showed that she lacked the usual confidence.

“It is true what they said about you.” she finally replied. “The thirteenth candidate for my hand is a madman.”

“They can call me whatever they want, my Lady,” Obi-Wan answered cheerfully. “But I know I have a mission to accomplish.”

“If you're in such a hurry,” she breathed, then turned to the crowd. “Our candidate's Second Task is to bring me a Mythosaur horn.” 

At her words, excited voices rose in the audience, some of them screaming. The sounds blended together so much that Obi-Wan couldn't understand a single one of the screamed words.

It was only Duke's voice that gave him an idea. “But my dear daughter,” he said, and the loudspeakers carried his voice across the arena. “Mythosaurs were extinct a long time ago. You cannot give the candidate a task that is impossible to complete.”

“But it is possible, Father.” the Princess replied, turning for a moment to him. “Don't you remember the reports of the miners from Concordia saying that they saw the traces of a great reptile in the woods there?”

“We are not sure if it wasn’t some other undiscovered species.” her father answered.

“But we do, Father. Our biologists were fairly certain that mythosaur had left them. And if not it, then a species very closely related to.” she said firmly, then turned to Obi-Wan. “Traces of this creature have been spotted in the forests of our moon. We will guarantee you transport and a weapon, but you will have to take care of the rest yourself. Mythosaurs have many horns on their bodies.” she said smiling slightly. “Bring one of them to me before sunset and you'll qualify for the Third Task.”

Guards appeared on either side of Obi-Wan. They asked him to follow them and he bowed to the Princess, then turned and started to walk to the exit, feeling her gaze on his back.

**x o x o x**

“Are you happy with each of these deaths?” Bo-Katan asked as Satine approached the platform with the thrones. “Because I have a feeling your plan for life is to finish off all the men in the Galaxy with your stupid competition.”

“Nobody makes them compete,” Satine replied, sitting proudly next to her father. “Besides, I think I've said many times that I don't feel like getting married. If you want to blame someone for every drop of blood that stained this arena, blame our Father.”

“Here we go,” Almec muttered, and the Duke shot him a warning look.

“Dear daughter, you weren’t so demanding to the previous candidates.” he noticed, turning his head towards her. “What has changed this time?”

“Hmm,” Satine muttered, crossing her legs. “Pre Vizsla was too confident. And he came too close to winning. I can't let that happen again.”

“This unfortunate man thinks he can succeed…”

“He can.” Satine snarled, looking at each of the people standing next to her. “I wasn't lying, reports of such a creature were delivered to the Palace, were they not?”

“No one would survive the confrontation with a mythosaur. No without training, without preparation.”

“That’s not my problem.” the blonde replied, staring at the now-closed gate of the arena. “Nobody forced him to participate.”

Bo-Katan muttered something under her breath and walked away from the platform, Fenn Rau a few steps behind her, and Almec behind them.

When they were finally alone, the Duke turned to his daughter. ‘“But you gave him a weapon.”

“So?”

“He's the only candidate you helped,” he added, smiling slightly. “You want him to win.”

The Princess shuddered slightly, but her eyes were still fixed on one point. “I don't know what you're talking about, Father,” she said after a few seconds.

**x o x o x**

“There’s your weapon,” said Fenn Rau, handing Obi-Wan the blaster. “It will be your only form of defence and attack,” he added, looking at him almost with pity. “Good luck, Thirteenth.”

“Thank you,” Obi-Wan replied “I'll see you here in a few hours,” he added as he left.

The forest was sparse at first, and a path lined with stones led through it.

Obi-Wan followed the path slowly, feeling the weight of the blaster on his left hip and the weight of his lightsaber on the other.

The Princess said she would give him a weapon, but did not say the candidate couldn't have his own.

Therefore, Obi-Wan took the weapon he always carried with him–the lightsaber that was a traditional weapon in his family and which saved his life more than once.

Obi-Wan knew this weapon better than any other. He had been using it for as long as he could remember, so it lay in his hand as if it were a natural part of his body.

The forest began to thicken.

There were more and more trees, and the rays of the sun squeezed through the dense treetops with increasing difficulty.

Somewhere nearby, he heard the rush of water, and after a while, a small stream appeared behind the trees, the bottom of which was filled with hundreds of stones of various colours and sizes. 

Obi-Wan walked over to a large boulder at the edge of the brook and sat on it. He crossed his legs, put his hands in his lap, and closed his eyes.

The noise of the brook was gone and with them the rustling of leaves and the singing of birds. 

Obi-Wan focused on the surroundings, on the tremors of the earth, on the signatures of the creatures around him.

Finally, he felt a slight tremor somewhere deep in the forest, generated by some large animal, a large and furious animal.

It had to be his mythosaur.

He jumped off the stone and headed southwest, the wilder path where the trees grew denser.

He could hear creatures screeching around him. He heard the clatter of hooves as well, and when he turned his head, he caught a glimpse of enormous antlers before its owner disappeared behind exceptionally thick bushes. 

Obi-Wan closed his eyes again.

The shaking of the ground was closer, though still a few kilometres away.

The march in that direction was quite long. Obi-Wan stopped on the way by another stream from which he drank water and allowed himself a moment to rest.

He started forward again, and after a few hundred meters the trees began to thin out. After another few minutes of walking, behind a wall of trunks, a large meadow appeared at the top of a hill.

Obi-Wan noticed the carcass of an animal somewhere on the grass, and as he came closer, he saw the imprints of huge paws in the ground. 

He closed his eyes. The owner of those paws was not around. However, a quick assessment of the situation allowed him to conclude that he was in the beast's lair and that this beast should return there soon. So he sat down under the trees, on the edge of the paddock, and closed his eyes as he meditated. 

As tremors in the earth, accompanied by deep murmurs, forced him to open his eyes, the sun moved significantly in the sky, indicating that it was slowly passing noon. 

From among the rarer trees, an animal of enormous size, covered with scales, with a long tail, swinging in all directions with every step, slowly came out. 

And it moved sluggishly as if something was causing it pain.

Obi-Wan closed his eyes and felt immediately that the mythosaur was suffering. 

The beast stopped a few meters from the trees and suddenly raised its head as if it had just sensed something. After a few seconds, it turned its big head to Obi-Wan and looked at him, growling lowly.

Obi-Wan rose from the dirt and dusted off his robes.

“Easy,” he whispered, holding out his hand.

The animal stood still, watching him closely.

Obi-Wan started walking slowly towards the reptile, without his weapons out, but with his hands outstretched.

The mythosaur was not moving, but it was making growls one by one, its tail trailing along the ground one way and the other. 

“I will not hurt you,” he assured softly, still reaching out to the beast. “I want to help you!”

The beast opened its mouth to reveal razor-sharp teeth, then shifted from foot to foot, turning to face him.

Obi-Wan was now within a few meters from the creature, but except the low growling noise, it showed no other sign that it was going to attack.

From there, Obi-Wan could see that the mythosaur's neck had a bloody smearing wound just below its head. He looked closely and noticed that the horn under the animal's head was covered in dark red, almost black blood.

The animal's horn was too long and dug into its skin, creating a wound that was constantly bleeding and was unable to heal, thus forcing the animal to feel constant pain.

“I'll help you,” Obi-Wan said, extending his hand to the reptile. “You can trust me.”

The animal bowed its head slightly. Obi-Wan closed his eyes, sending waves of calmness, communicating his good intentions to the reptile, winning its trust. 

The beast lowered its head closer to his hand and sniffed it, then huffed and nudged him lightly, growling differently.

It opened one large golden eye with a narrow, vertical pupil, now slightly dilated, staring at him expectantly.

The creature growled again. Obi-Wan reached out and placed a hand on the reptile's nose. The animal grunted, but its eyelid drooped and its tail stopped moving.

He pulled his lightsaber from his belt and activated it. The beast opened its eye and its pupil narrowed dangerously, but Obi-Wan gently stroked its warm, scaly skin. 

“Take it easy,” he repeated. “You have to look up. Trust me, I'll help you.”

The animal creased its neck, giving Obi-Wan access to its chin. He raised his weapon, walked to the long, almost a meter long horn and put the sword to its base.

“You may feel discomfort, but it shouldn't hurt,” he muttered, stroking the animal's neck with his other hand.

He brought his lightsaber closer to the reptile’s skin and slowly sank the laser blade into the bloodied spike. 

The mythosaur growled, and its tail moved, hitting the ground after a moment, but it stood still, panting evenly and waiting.

The blade pierced the thick bone slowly, and Obi-Wan had to be careful not to burn the creature, but after a minute of focus, the great horn dropped to the ground.

“It's all over,” Obi-Wan assured, and the animal lifted its head with a grunt, then looked down at the severed bone and puffed air from two large nostrils.

It looked at Obi-Wan, growled, then turned towards the hill and slowly began to move away.

Obi-Wan crouched down, took the long horn in his hands, and slowly made his way back into the trees to head back to the ship. 

**x o x o x**

When the gate opened, the entire arena fell silent.

Obi-Wan put mythosaur’s horn on his shoulder and walked slowly to the centre.

With each step, the audience grew livelier. He heard screams, cheers, applause, whistles.

Somewhere in the distance he even heard a song about Lucky Thirteen.

He smiled, but his gaze was fixed on the Princess, who had just risen from her throne and was walking slowly towards the platform. 

As Obi-Wan reached his place, she waved her hand without a word, and her platform lowered to the sand.

“This is the horn of a mythosaur?” she asked in a strange, muffled voice that carried over the arena, silencing all conversation. “Impossible.”

“The one and only,” Obi-Wan confirmed and placed it on his hands, stretching them towards the Princess standing a few meters in front of him. “I did as you wanted, my Lady.”

“How?” she asked with unnaturally wide eyes. “Come closer.”

Obi-Wan crossed the few meters between them and stopped a meter from the Princess. The woman glanced at him with her large eyes, which were not cold, but only sincerely surprised. Then she turned her attention to the horn and placed one of her pale hands on it. 

“The truest horn,” she whispered, then looked at him sharply. “You killed this creature?”

“No, my Lady,” he replied with a smile as her lips parted slightly. “The mythosaur suffered because the horn under its head was too long and it dug into its skin. I solved the problem, but let it live. It didn't deserve to die.”

“It didn't.” The Princess agreed, looking for a few long seconds into his eyes. 

Obi-Wan then decided that she had the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. He couldn't stop staring into them.

The Princess suddenly flinched and the spell was broken. She lowered her arm and took one step back. She clasped her hands in front of her. “You passed the Second Task, stranger. You are eligible for the Third and Final one.”

She waved her hand and her platform returned to the top. The Princess addressed the crowd, although her voice was not as lofty as it had been two days earlier and less cold than the day before. “The thirteenth candidate will appear tomorrow at dawn for the third and final task. He has survived so far…” she said, looking at him for a moment. “However, if he has some things to finish, he better do it by morning, because he may see the faces of his loved ones for the last time.”

This time the Princess stayed on the platform as the guards escorted Obi-Wan to the exit of the arena, and just like this morning, Obi-Wan felt her gaze on him.


	4. the Third Task

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She can f e e l! And she wanted to play!   
> But you can't underestimate your... opponent ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

On the third day, the arena was so overcrowded that all the creatures present there merged into one colourful mass. 

Everyone wanted to see the Thirteenth Candidate struggling on his Final Assignment and see if he too would lose his head for the Unfeeling Princess.

Or maybe...

If it would be the Princess with an Icy Heart who will lose her head for him.

Viewers whispered to each other that the mysterious stranger, whose name has never been spoken, is not human.

Some believed that a god had descended to earth in the form of a suitor, who had come to punish the wayward Princess. 

Others said maybe it was some wizard who would curse her.

There were also voices that when the thirteenth candidate won, he would murder the Princess and take over the system himself after her father's death.

What was the truth, only he knew.

The gate opened at dawn. 

Obi-Wan strode forward but hesitated when he saw a slender figure standing on the platform just in front of where the candidate always stood.

Princess Satine waited for him at the bottom of the arena, several flowers put in her hair, her brown gown gleaming in the rays of the sun just climbing across the sky, enveloping her in a golden glow.

Obi-Wan took a deep breath and, ignoring voices from the audience, moved forward, getting closer to the waiting blonde with every step.

“You've made it all the way here,” said the Princess when they were just steps away from each other. “Being one step away from winning, it's easy to stumble.”

“Thank you for your best wishes, my Lady,” Obi-Wan said, smiling at her. He didn't know if the Princess appreciated his humour, but at least she didn't seem to want to see him in a coffin anymore.

The Princess raised her eyebrows. “The crowd loves you,” she observed, pointing her hands at the coloured mass. 

“And you, my Lady?”

The Princess looked at him for a moment with an unreadable expression, then turned to the crowd without a word. “It's time for the Third Task. The thirteenth candidate will have to find me and catch me, without the help of equipment, transport or people, before noon.” she looked at him, a small, almost amused smile on her lips. “I’ll let you know that I am very good at hiding, stranger.”

“Then it is great, my Lady, that I have found you long ago.”

The Princess laughed, the sound not amused at all. “Enjoy the sight of this beautiful sun.”

“The sight of you is enough for me.”

“Nice words won't save your life.” she sighed, raised her hand and her platform began to rise. 

And maybe words could not save him, but completing the task assigned to him on time would.

The guards led him to the exit as the Princess was heading in the opposite direction.

As Obi-Wan glanced over his shoulder at her, she turned her head as well, then quickly looked ahead–once again looking as cold as ever.

**x o x o x**

After leaving the arena, the guards put a blindfold around Obi-Wan’s head, telling him that the Princess had given them such orders.

They were silent for the rest of the way until after a few minutes of driving the speeder, they helped him get off the machine and for a few more minutes led him into the unknown. 

Obi-Wan smelled the characteristic scent of flowering trees, heard the rustle of tiny leaves, and somewhere in the distance the sound of water.

The guards stopped him, removed the blindfold from his eyes, and took a few steps back.

Obi-Wan looked around. He was surrounded by a few meters high bushes and walls. When he looked back, he saw the guards, and behind them was a large Palace.

Then he sensed a strong scent of lilies somewhere nearby, and after a few seconds from a distance of several meters from him he heard a subdued, but no longer cold voice. “Hello.”

“My Lady,” Obi-Wan said instantly, looking from side to side. The woman was nowhere in sight. 

“You won't see me,” she stated as if reading his mind, and Obi-Wan felt she was saying it with a smile on her face. “You're probably wondering where we are.” she continued, her voice soft as if to tell him a story. “We're just standing in the labyrinth.”

Obi-Wan looked around once more, and this time noticed that indeed the rising green bands and the long meters of stone formed something like walls and paths. 

“The exit from the labyrinth leads straight to the arena,” she spoke after a moment of silence. “There are loads of points where our paths will intersect. But don't feel that you can catch me that easily. I have the advantage that I know the garden by heart and have walked these paths many times since I learned to walk.” she added, and Obi- Wan thought again that there was amusement in her words, perhaps even pride at the task she had given him. “You have one goal. You have to find me and catch me before I can get to my Father,” she added, and her voice grew louder as if she was standing a little closer. “Are you scared now?”

“Oh no, my Lady,” Obi-Wan replied, walking to where he thought the Princess was standing on the other side. “But I see that you are less afraid.”

“What should I be afraid of? After all, I said I knew this maze–”

“Forgive me, Princess,” Obi-Wan interrupted in a polite voice, smiling at the bush separating them. “But I was talking about your fear of showing your heart.”

“You're stubborn,” she replied after a moment, and Obi-Wan heard her breathing louder. “Perhaps even as stubborn as me,” she added, and Obi-Wan heard the soft rustle of her dress as she took a few steps. “Let's not waste any time, stranger.”

“Don't you wish me luck, my Lady?”

“No,” the Princess replied shortly. “Catch me if you can.”

Obi-Wan heard the rustle of her dress, and after a short while, he started down the path himself, winding through the hedge and stone columns. He walked for a few minutes, listening to the slightest noises, and then, somewhere to his left, he heard a soft click of heels.

He turned his head, but there was another green wall in front of him. He breathed a sigh as he came closer, but then the Princess standing on the other side sprang up suddenly, quickly walking away from him. 

Obi-Wan took a few steps and noticed one of the intersections. The princess must have run through it as he focused all his attention on her presence in the previous place. He stopped at the intersection of two paths, then turned right. He looked around, but the Princess was nowhere to be found. 

He headed straight. He took a few turns, taking turns looking up to his feet and into the sky, and finally something tapped in front of him. “Wait!” he exclaimed, and the sound of her footsteps stopped. She listened to him. “What will you do if I catch you?”

“What's the point in meditating on what will never come?” she answered his question with a question, then added in a sweet, malicious voice. “It's a pity because you have a rather handsome face.”

“And you, my Lady, are the most beautiful being my eyes have ever seen,” Obi-Wan replied contentedly, taking a few steps forward. “Don't you think we'd look good together?”

“Just don’t lose your head over that thought,” she laughed. “Oops.”

She started to run. Obi-Wan, too stunned by the joke that he heard from her. only after a few long seconds realized that if the Princess was in such a hurry, there was probably another intersection somewhere nearby. He started running too.

Suddenly, a dozen or so meters in front of him, the Princess ran out. Obi-Wan stopped short, his attention focused on her dress, which now, in the morning sun, among so many stones and trees, seemed to be orange.

The woman stopped as well, lifted her chin high, gave him a defiant smile, then ran into the next corridor.

Obi-Wan gave chase. In the distance, he heard the clatter of her shoes, but always too far, several meters in front of him.

Eventually, her footsteps fell silent. He stopped and closed his eyes. He was surprised when he sensed her just a few meters away.

“Are you not tired yet?” she asked from behind the wall of branches and leaves, breathing loudly, clearly feeling first signs of tiredness. “Or thirsty?”

“Is that a trick question, my Lady?” Obi-Wan answered her and as he heard her slow, silent footsteps he walked along the fence with her. “Did you miss my voice?”

The Princess huffed, then stopped. Obi-Wan heard a sudden rush of water, followed by a rustle of leaves. A pale hand, in which the flask rested, slipped out between them. He studied her for a moment.

“It's not poison,” the Princess said softly, wiggling the silver bottle invitingly. “It's just water.”

Obi-Wan raised his hand and took the gift from her palm, caressing it with his thumb gently. Obi-Wan noticed that her skin was warm and that it did not match the coldness behind which the Princess was hiding. 

“Drink,” she said firmly, then took her hand away as if his touch burned her. “I'd like you to get to the arena before you get sunstroke and dehydration.”

“Your concern is endearing.”

“And your arrogance will never cease to amaze me.” 

She moved slowly forward and Obi-Wan opened the flask and held it to his nose. The Princess was not lying, there was plain water in it. So he took a few sips, then followed the sounds her shoes made.

There was silence for the next half an hour. Obi-Wan kept walking forward, turning left and right every now and then. 

Finally, he noticed a huge fountain at the end of one of the corridors, surrounded by numerous benches and flower beds.

He stopped and looked around.

He had to be in the middle of the labyrinth. Six different corridors led from it, each identical, with a large floral arch above the exit.

Obi-Wan closed his eyes, trying to feel the woman's presence. It was somewhere nearby, a dozen or so meters ahead of him. She walked slowly as if waiting for his next move.

He looked at each of the exits again. He noticed that in the centre of one of them was a white lily–very similar to the ones Princess Satine wore in her hair.

Quickly he ran into that corridor. As he approached where he heard footsteps, those footsteps suddenly became more frequent, faster. 

The Princess started running, with Obi-Wan right behind her. He stopped at another crossroads. “I didn't know you were so fit, Princess.”

“You don't know many things about me.” the reply came so close that Obi-Wan for a moment felt as if the blonde was standing right behind him. But when he turned his head there was only a wall. “You intrigue me, stranger.” she finally admitted, curiosity bursting in her unfazed voice. “You want my hand so much?”

“More than anything,” Obi-Wan said honestly. “I believe destiny brought me to you.”

“Destiny,” she repeated. “Tell me, do you think it was destiny that killed my Mother? Was that what she was meant to do? Did she suffer so much because of her destiny? Fate was hurt by her happiness so much that it decided to punish her?”

The Princess was angry, she spoke reproachfully, but the sadness and pain of losing her mother echoed in her voice. Obi-Wan didn't know how exactly the Princess felt, but he did know that losing a mother was never easy. He had experienced it himself several years earlier. 

“I have no answer for you, my Lady.”

“It’s a pity, really.” the Princess said, then took a deep, calming breath. “I thought you would be more outspoken.”

“You don't know a lot about me,” Obi-Wan repeated her words. 

“And I don't want to change that,” she replied softly, and then she started running again. 

Obi-Wan followed the clatter of her shoes, which echoed closer with each of his leaps. Slowly it was getting darker over the garden, and Obi-Wan could see the beginning of the arena walls.

The arena cast a shadow over the labyrinth. It meant the exit was close. Obi-Wan sped up. He turned left and right, and finally ran up the same path, the straight path, that ran along the wall of the arena. The path where the Princess was running.

She didn't look back. Suddenly she slowed down, then turned sharply left. Then he heard the noise the crowd was making. 

As Obi-Wan ran out of the bend a few seconds later, he was greeted by the sight of an excited audience.

He looked around quickly. He spotted several figures walking towards the stage. He closed his eyes, searching for that one shining signature that attracted him like a magnet. 

He found her. When he opened his eyes, the Princess was already one-third of her way back to her family.

Obi-Wan rushed after her. 

He pushed his way through the audience, throwing a short ‘excuse me’ here and there. 

The distance between him and the Princess was getting smaller all the time. 

Half the arena has passed. The blonde ran a few meters ahead of him, and the crowd parted in front of her–some with fear in their faces, others with excitement and curiosity.

Princess Satine was close to the scene when Obi-Wan was only a few meters close to her. He sped up.

The crowd held its breath.

Duke Adonai and everyone else on the stage looked at them expectantly.

She was only a few steps away from the stairs when Obi-Wan made several long half-jumps and grabbed her hand.

The Princess stopped before her foot touched the first step. She turned to him sharply, looking at him with large, wide eyes. A dozen or so centimetres separated them.

“I got you, my Lady,” he said softly, looking deep into her eyes, with a small smile.

She was panting, staring into his eyes with an unreadable expression. Her hand was still loose in his larger one, and Obi-Wan was gently stroking her pale skin with his thumb. She didn't move.

And only when the silence was broken by the Duke who announced, “We have a winner!” that the Princess blinked violently, something wild appeared in her eyes. She took her hand away from his embrace, then turned and, to everyone's surprise, threw herself on her knees at her father’s feet.

“Father, don’t give me to him!” she howled at him pitifully.

The Duke looked shocked at her behaviour. “But daughter, it happened as you swore.” 

“Father, no, I'm begging you!” she continued looking at him fearfully. “Don't leave me at his mercy!”

“Satine,” the Duke replied in a firm voice. “You promised to marry the one who would fulfil your three tasks. He found you and caught you before you got to that scene.” he continued, staring at her severely. “He fulfilled the contract. Your honour and the traditions of your people dictate that you do the same.”

The Princess looked at her father for a moment, then turned to Obi-Wan. Tears ran down her cheeks, and there was fear in her voice when she spoke. “Will you take me by force?”

Obi-Wan felt as if her words had burned a hole in his heart. Her fear was immense, and Obi-Wan had no doubts that the Princess was afraid that she would meet the same fate as her mother.

He took a few steps, bowed to the Duke, then knelt, bowed his head, and placed his hand on his chest. “I would not dare, my Lady,” he said honestly. “I've got a proposition for you.”

She was staring at him with reddened eyes, still resting on the ground at her father's feet.

“You don't know my name,” he announced, and she blinked as if she had just realized it. “If you guess my name before sunrise, I will stand in the arena at dawn and voluntarily lie under the executioner's axe.”

The Princess opened her mouth, but no word left them for a long moment. She clenched her fists on her dress, then looked up at him and replied in a desperate voice. “I agree!”

Obi-Wan smiled at her, and the Princess awkwardly got up from the ground and looked at the floor while walking towards the hallway. He watched her go, and as he turned his head to look at the Duke, he noticed that the older man was watching him closely.

“Stranger,” he said after a moment, his voice warm, a smile on his lips. “I hope when a sun appears in the sky tomorrow morning, I would call you my son.”


	5. into the dawn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happened? Tags happened...   
> (and yeah, Siri, how very Jedi-like of you)

Obi-Wan strolled through the palace gardens, pacing them slowly. He looked around, admiring the exotic plants on the sides of the alleys and the flowers growing on the flowerbeds.

He stood at one point that overlooked the city and looked into the distance.

There were dozens of buildings, cubist and geometric in front of him. Somewhere in the distance, he could see the speeders and the ships rising towards the dome above the city. 

Mandalore was beautiful, although the planet's climate did not spare, so its inhabitants had to invent newer and newer measures to protect themselves from changing conditions.

Obi-Wan wondered what it was like to run the planet, even the entire system.

His father lost his throne and position when Obi-Wan was a teenager, and although the monarchy on Stewjon was hereditary, political theory and knowledge alone did not make anyone a good ruler.

Obi-Wan didn't remember much from that time. He remembered, however, how a few days after Qui-Gon's fall, he had sent his son to Onderon, where the old king's former mentor lived, who had taken Obi-Wan under his wing and had taken over the education of the young former Prince.

If it weren't for the isolation from the environment in which he grew up and the father he used to be close to, these memories would have been happier.

Obi-Wan closed his eyes and turned his face skyward.

Suddenly, somewhere behind him, he heard quick steps and from an efficient deduction, he recognized that at least a few people were headed his way.

He turned slowly as the Princess approached him, so nervous that she was practically trembling; her entourage a dozen or so steps away.

She stood a few steps ahead of him, fists clenched. “I order you to reveal your name,” she said firmly.

“I'm sorry, my Lady.” Obi-Wan smiled at her. “It's against our agreement.”

“Agreement in which I got involved when I was not the best emotional state.” she huffed, fixing him with a sharp glare. 

Obi-Wan's smile widened, showing her a row of white teeth. “I'm glad that I was able to move your heart enough that it started to feel emotions again.”

“Are you enjoying this situation?” The Princess took a step closer, looking him straight in the eye. “Do you enjoy my unhappiness?”

“No, my Lady,” Obi-Wan replied, also taking a step towards her. “That is why I am trying to help you so that you do not have to look at the stars full of hope and love again without feeling the same.”

“Hope that dies every morning and is born at night?” she took a step towards him. “Love that hurts, kills, leaves wounds bleeding forever that do not heal?” she asked in an angry, low voice. “Then I'm so glad I don't feel it,” she added, looking at him with irritation. “Reveal your name.”

“This mystery is closed within me, my Lady,” he replied, taking one more step towards her. Now they were only a few centimetres apart, just like a few hours before. “My heart carries it and only you can open it,” he added, looking into her glittering blue eyes staring up at him. “So when the morning sun rises in the sky, I will tell this secret against your lips.”

The Princess breathed a shallow breath as if she were choking the urge to scream in anger. She glanced at his lips surreptitiously as if contemplating his words, her expression softened for a moment, but when their eyes met again, the grimace returned to her lips.

“Well then,” she replied softly. “Well.” she turned away from him so quickly that her blond hair that fell over her shoulders almost brushed his face, and the scent of flowers woven into it hit his nostrils.

The Princess looked at the Prime Minister Almec, then on the guards and ordered. “Nobody in this palace is allowed to sleep tonight. You are to know  _ his _ name at any cost. If anyone breaks the prohibition,” she paused, her entire figure tense as she clenched her fists and tilted her head to the side, but not looking at him. “death awaits them.”

She walked briskly back to the Palace, her guards a few paces behind her.

“Look, Almec,” said the redheaded guard Obi-Wan remembered from his first day in the arena. “At least before we died, we were able to enjoy the sun that you talked about so much.”

“Nobody is going to die today, Fenn,” Almec replied, then turned to Obi-Wan in the voice of the negotiator. “Stranger, give up the hand of the Princess and we'll give you whatever you want,” he announced. “We will give you money, we will give you our  _ beskar _ , we can even find you another beloved. There are a lot of blonde girls in Mandalore, I'm sure one of them will suit you better than Princess Satine!”

Obi-Wan couldn't help himself. He laughed to which Prime Minister Almec reacted with an offended expression. 

“I’m sorry, Prime Minister,” he replied after a moment. “However, as far as the Princess’ beauty, I admit, is extraordinary, it is not about her appearance.”

“Then what it is about?” the red-haired woman, the Princess's sister, asked him. “Her character? Satine is ice-cold, insensitive, immune to harm and mean to everyone. She enjoys the death of all those poor suitors. So what are we talking about?”

“I do not want to be rude, my Lady,” he said, inclining his head towards her. “But I don't agree that the Princess is ice-cold and immune to harm. She looked sad when she talked about your Mother.” Obi-Wan offered, and the younger princess pursed her lips. “Additionally, when I brought her a mythosaur horn, she immediately asked indignantly if I killed it. This is not how a person immune to harm does behave,” he added, looking at each of the three. “And today, after I was able to complete my Third Task, she was acting out of fear. She even cried. Is this what a person without emotions looks like?” he asked and quickly raised his hand as princess Bo-Katan opened her mouth. “And don't tell me, my Lady, that her motivations are selfish. She didn't want that animal dead. And sadness and fear are not selfish.”

The younger princess looked at him for several long moments, her green eyes piercing him right through. Suddenly she laughed, shaking her head as if she still didn't believe the whole situation.

“You already lost your head over her,” she said, still looking surprised by the conclusion. “Poor fool.”

“Tell us your name.” the red-haired guard encouraged. “And we will beg the Princess to spare your life.”

“I will not change my mind,” Obi-Wan replied politely but firmly. “You have a long night ahead.”

“You have no idea.” the red-haired princess replied, watching him curiously. 

**x o x o x**

The Princess's people found Obi-Wan less than an hour before sunrise and took him to the interrogation room where, to his surprise, Qui-Gon and Siri were waiting. 

But he remained calm.

His father, apparently reluctant to be responsible for his son's death, was equally unshakable.

Only Siri showed any unease as she cast a desperate glance between the guards and her former Prince.

Obi-Wan shook his head slightly, trying to calm her down a bit in this situation, and then Princess Satine entered the room.

Noticing the three people, she smiled slightly. Obi-Wan would have found that smile beautiful if it hadn't been so desperate. The desperation that made people do different things.

“Princess,” said one of the guards. “These people were seen talking to him. They may know his name.”

The Princess clasped her hands together in a silent expression of triumph. “Well,” she began calmly, looking first at the frightened blonde sitting in front of her. “Who is this man?”

“I do not know,” she replied, though her voice was uncertain. “This is the first time I see him.”

“And you, old man?” The Princess was looking at Qui-Gon now, who was looking at her with a neutral expression. “You know him?”

The former king, however, was silent. 

After several seconds, the Princess took a deep breath and turned to Obi-Wan. “Who are these people?”

“I don't know, my Lady,” Obi-Wan replied with a slight smile. “I don't know their names.”

“You don't know their names.” the Princess repeated, looking at him from under a frown. “Are you mocking me?” Without taking her eyes off him, she waved her hand.

One of the guards approached Qui-Gon and held a dagger to his throat, pulling on his long, almost silver hair. 

“Do you remember anything now?” she asked, looking at Qui-Gon again. The older man was still silent, staring at her with the same mask of indifference. 

The Princess pursed her lips and made another motion with her hand. The guard plunged the blade harder, piercing the man's skin with its tip. A single drop of blood trickled down his neck. 

“Still nothing?” Qui-Gon was silent as the grave.

The Princess raised her hand, but at that moment she was interrupted by the other woman.

“Stop it, Princess!” she screamed, and the Princess looked at her curiously. “I'm the only one who knows his name.”

“The only one.” The Princess leaned over the table again. “Why should I believe you?”

“He has a memory disease,” Siri replied, nodding her head at Qui-Gon and looking at the other blonde desperately. “Even if you tortured him for days, he wouldn't remember him,” she added, looking shyly at Obi-Wan.

The Princess looked at Qui-Gon as if wondering if the woman had told her the truth. But seeing his unchanging expression and constant reluctance to talk, she sighed and waved her hand.

The guard removed the blade from Qui-Gon's throat and stood behind Siri, now holding the dagger to her neck.

“His name.”

“I cannot say.”

The Princess looked at the guard, who only nodded and grabbed Siri by the hair, tilting her head back, then pressed the blade against her skin. The blonde took a shuddering breath.

The Princess looked at her sharply. “I don't like repeating myself, my dear,” she said in a falsely sweet voice, straightening herself and looking at the questioned woman from above. “Tell me his name, and I will let you go.”

“No.”

The Princess sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. “What is it that makes you resist so fiercely?”

Siri was silent for a moment, then her blue eyes fell on Obi-Wan standing on her side. She smiled slightly, then said in a low, yet confident voice. “Love, Princess. A love that is secret and unrequited, but so sweet that suffering on its behalf does not hurt me. I have turned my love into loyalty.”

“What is with you and love?” the Princess snarled, then waved her hand. The blade pressed against the skin of Siri's neck enough that one deep breath might have ended in a cutthroat. “Speak and I will spare you.”

“Hear me out, Princess. You who are seized with ice.” Siri replied instead. “But once you are touched by his flame, you will love him too.”

“You are wasting your precious seconds,” The Princess looked increasingly more irritated. “Why don't you say something useful?”

“Before the sun rises,” Siri continued. “I will close my eyes one last time so that he can win. He will win.”

The Princess sighed. “Just give–” she trailed off, gasping as Siri lunged forward hard, the blade the guard held at her neck piercing her throat. Blood began to trickle down from the wound as she was choking and wheezing for a while before her still body hit the table.

The Princess was staring at the scene in front of her with wide eyes, and she was even more surprised when the old man sitting next to the now-dead blonde lunged at her and began to shake her. “Siri, oh Siri,” he said, his voice breaking, stroking her hair, her pale face. “Such loyalty, such a good heart.”

Obi-Wan closed his eyes as the guards carried Siri's body out of the room and lead his father after her. Siri was loyal to the end. Loyal to him and his father. Obi-Wan would never forget that.

He and the Princess were also led out of the room. 

Obi-Wan turned to her as the guards moved away a few meters. “Death seems to enjoy your company very much, my Lady.” she looked him straight in the eyes, not saying a word. There was something strange on her pale face. Kind of guilt. “But you can still change that. It is never too late for love, but it is always too early for loneliness and a stiff heart.”

The Princess looked to the side, at the window, at the floor, at the flowers in pots, anywhere but not at him. “You know nothing.” she only whispered.

“Your coolness is a lie.” Obi-Wan held out his hands. He grabbed her hand with one and pressed the other to her cheek. 

“Do not touch me.” she flinched, looking at him with a mixture of fear and nervousness. “You will not possess me.”

“I am not going to possess you, my Lady,” he replied warmly. “I'm not forcing you to do anything. I just want to show you another way. Where you are not hidden in this cold shell, behind this callous mask.”

“I will not repeat my Mother's fate,” she whispered, shaking her head.

“You will not repeat. I will not allow it.” Obi-Wan slid his hand under her chin and tilted her face up. He met her eyes–turbulent blue ones–and could swear he heard her heartbeat. Her very lively, scared heart.

A heart of ice couldn't beat.

He leaned down and kissed her lightly. 

The Princess shuddered and did not immediately kiss him back. She moved her head slightly, parting their lips. “What have you done to me?” she whispered, closing her eyes tightly. “What have I become?”

“You've become nobody, Satine,” he answered softly, and the Princess shivered again as he spoke her name. “You found your true self,” he added, kissing her lightly again. This time she kissed him back.

The sun had not yet risen on the horizon, though the changing colour of the sky indicated it was a matter of minutes. 

Obi-Wan broke their kiss and glanced up at the sky from the corner of his eye. The Princess did the same. “Our agreement is still valid,” he whispered, and she pushed her head slightly away, staring at him blankly. He smiled. “Obi-Wan,” he breathed, lacing their fingers together. “My name is Obi-Wan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhhh cliffhangers!


	6. epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I have overfluffed this chapter and I am so proud of it.

The Princess moved further away. Now completely confused eyes stared at him from beneath her furrowed brow. “The sun has not come up yet...” she said softly.

“And you know my name,” Obi-Wan replied equally softly. “You won,” he added, then moved away from her and, still holding her hand, he knelt in front of her and bowed his head. “According to our contract, once you know my name, one word from you is enough, and in a few minutes the executioner will behead me.” He looked at her with a smile, then he brought her pale hand to his lips and placed a kiss on its back. “Although I lost this head at the very beginning.”

“Obi-Wan…” she said softly as if checking what the name sounded on her lips. And then she seemed to revive. “I know you! Obi-Wan, Prince of Stewjon, son of the banished King Qui-Gon…” 

“It's me,” he confirmed, stroking the skin of her hand with his thumb. “But my titles aren't important, I lost them a long time ago.”

The Princess touched his cheeks with gentle, warm hands, turning his face towards her. “My titles aren't important either. Call me Satine,” she announced, caressing his face. 

“Satine,” he said, then turned his head, kissing the centre of her hand. “I will say it for the rest of my life if it is your will.”

“This is my will,” she confirmed. “I despised all my suitors,” she confessed after a moment of silence, looking him straight in the eye. “I despised them because each of them cared about their social position, not me. But you…” She broke off, braiding her hand through his auburn hair. “But I was afraid of you. And you knew about it,” she added, the slowly rising sun on the horizon cast the first rays on her face, making her eyes shine even more. “I was afraid because you didn't care about my position. You wanted my affection, and I didn't want to open my heart to anyone.”

“What changed?”

“You showed me your heart. You showed me kindness,” she replied softly. “When you guessed my three riddles, I was furious because I thought you were another arrogant suitor who cares only about himself. All your answers were spoken with such confidence... But your smile, the glow of your eyes. There was something else about you.”

“And then?” he asked just as softly.

“And then…” she continued, her gaze running over his entire face. “And then it was time for the second task. I admit right away that I was sure you would not find this mythosaur. And if you find it, you will die trying to kill it.” she paused for a moment. “But you came back to the arena. So pleased with yourself, with the horn on your shoulder. I thought – _he killed it. He is no different from any of his predecessors._ But you... You didn't kill this creature. You helped this poor soul. You showed your heart to the beast that suffered. That could kill you with one clench of the jaw.” she confessed in a trembling voice. Obi-Wan kissed the palm of her hand, and her eyes glazed over, even though there was a smile on her face. “I was even more afraid of you, because if you managed to win with mythosaur... What were my chances?”

Obi-Wan was smiling fondly at her. “And then?”

“Ah, the third task,” she said, her delicate fingers sinking into his hair again. “I wanted to test you. But... My dislike for you didn't exist anymore. You intrigued me. Thinking about you didn't make me angry. It only caused… fear. Fear and incomprehensible feeling hidden somewhere deep in the heart.” she confessed. “Although your sense of humour and attempts to flirt annoyed me at times, you always said it with such warmth, with such delicacy that I couldn't…”

She broke off suddenly, her hands resting on his face. She took them off quickly. “Get up,” she whispered, and Obi-Wan obeyed her request.

“You couldn’t?” he asked, standing in front of her now, guessing what the answer might be.

“I couldn't…” she began again, looking at his lips, then his nose, and finally, shyly, into his eyes. There was a slight flush on her sharp cheeks as she reached her hand again to his face. “I couldn't help falling in love with you.”

Obi-Wan smiled at her, took her smaller hand, placed a kiss on it, then bowed his head slightly and put his lips to her forehead. He heard her breath trembling. 

He put his hands on her waist, she timidly wrapped her arms around his neck, relaxing slowly. She wasn't so stiff with fear and nervousness anymore. 

As Obi-Wan closed his eyes, her hitherto closed and deterrent aura slowly began to glow, shining like the brightest star. 

“Do you believe in love at first sight, Obi-Wan?” she asked after a moment, gently.

“I believe in destiny and that we were meant for each other, Satine,” he answered tenderly, hugging her closely. Holding her was as natural as breathing. As if they were perfectly matched.

After a while, he rested his chin on her hair.

She sighed irritably.

“Something wrong?” he asked innocently.

“I'm not sure about your beard,” she replied right away.

“Why?” he smiled in amusement.

“It's rough and scratchy,” she replied dissatisfied, but then looked at him with a twinkle in her eye. “And hides too much of your handsome face.”

“I'll think about getting rid of it if I get your pretty smile in return, darling.”

Satine looked at him for a moment with a vague expression on her face. “Say it one more time.”

Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows. “You're beautiful, darling.”

“Again.”

“You have the most beautiful eyes, darling.”

“Again.”

Obi-Wan looked at her for a moment, then said with an even bigger smile. “I love you, darling.”

Satine laughed. Her eyes shone so beautifully that Obi-Wan couldn't help kissing her. He could feel her smile against his lips. 

When they finally pulled away from each other, she whispered conspiratorially to him. “I have got some idea.”

**x o x o x**

When Obi-Wan stood in front of the arena gate for the last time, he had to refrain from smiling. 

The guards on both sides seemed unmoved by his good sense of humour, but Obi-Wan wanted to make appearances in front of the thousands of lives who had come to the arena.

The gate opened almost painfully slowly that day.

He took a few steps forward, staring straight ahead.

Satine was standing on the platform in front of the stage–proud and tall as always, but with a smile on her lips that could be read in several ways–and just stared at him.

The audience went wild. They talked to each other, some shouted. They made a huge noise, which Obi-Wan, however, completely ignored.

He was focused on one person who also seemed to be focused only on him. 

Obi-Wan stood in the centre of the arena and bowed.

Satine nodded slightly. Almost imperceptibly, however, Obi-Wan was able to catch the small gesture.

She raised both hands and the voices in the arena died down.

There was a tense silence, which she broke after many long seconds with a firm, steady voice, but with a smouldering warmth–something that had not been there before.

“Hello, gathered,” she scanned the whole audience before her eyes fell on Obi-Wan. “The sun has already risen. But before it appeared in the sky, we already had a winner.”

Whispers rose in the audience, creating one loud hum.

“I know the name of the thirteenth candidate,” she announced.

The audience livened up. There were screams, screeches, almost wailing. And… pleas.

“Have mercy!”

“Show your heart!”

Satine smiled. “Mercy? Heart? It's funny,” she said, raising her eyebrows. “Funny because so many of you have accused me of years of having no heart. For lacking human reflexes. For lacking feelings.” she said, glancing over her shoulder at her sister. “And mercy is a feeling, isn't it? So if my heart is so cold, how can I show mercy to the candidate?”

“Let him go!”

“Why would I let him go?” she asked, looking across the arena to where the request had come from. “You have witnessed our deal. I know his name, so I can have him beheaded at any time. He suggested it himself. There was no question of quitting in case of failure.”

“Spare his life!”

Satine laughed. It wasn't a cold sound, however. It was also not amused. Rather sad. “Your faith in me has never been stronger, has it?” she asked, her calm, slightly indignant voice rising across the arena. “Each of you thinks I'm a monster. You treat me like some kind of bloodthirsty beast. You're afraid of me. And have I given you a reason to be afraid?” she asked, silencing the last voices. “No. I did not give you. I have never contributed to anyone's death because I wanted it.” She then looked at Obi-Wan, who immediately understood that she was talking about Siri. He smiled reassuringly at her. “Twelve candidates have died in the place where the thirteenth candidate now stands, that's true. However, each of them knew what the price of bidding for my hand was. I didn't make them do it. Blinded by the chance for higher social status and property of my family, they would sell their soul just to be able to marry me.” she said, then sighed gently. “All of them but one.”

She looked at Obi-Wan again. She waved her hand and her platform began to slowly lower. When she stopped a few meters in front of him, a smile lit her pale face, her blue eyes sparkling in the rays of the sun rising across the sky.

“The thirteenth candidate has never cared about social status. He did not dream of my wealth,” she said, looking at him. “Even when he didn't know me, he believed in me. He saw in me what neither of you wanted to see. He saw the fear that filled my heart.” her voice trembled slightly. “Because I have a heart. And it now belongs to the thirteenth candidate.”

Though her words were a whisper, thanks to the microphone on the platform, it carried across the arena. Obi-Wan could have sworn everyone stopped breathing at that moment.

“When others saw me as a stone-hearted monster, you saw a fragile soul succumbed to fear and the demons of the past. When others doubted me, you put faith in me. When others let me lose myself in grief and bitterness, you proved to me that it is worth showing my heart. We have two winners today.” she said, coming off the platform and walking towards him.

She stood a few inches from him and cupped his face with both hands. “I know your name,” she said smiling at him. Her eyes shone like a starry sky with each word. “Your name is... Love.”

When she kissed him, there was loud applause.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was fun to write this. Really. Thank you for your support and kind words ♥.  
> Be safe and be happy, sweethearts! See you soon!

**Author's Note:**

> I will love every kudos, comment and bookmark you leave ♥


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